Jodhpur: Not all is well in the Bharatiya Janata Party camp in Rajasthan. Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje has hardly campaigned this time around, when compared to the 2014 polls or the recent assembly polls, even as the state goes to polls on Monday for its first phase of Lok Sabha elections.
Sources stated that the former chief minister has only campaigned during the past few days, that too sporadically, and for candidates that she considers are close to her camp. “Of the approximately 30 meetings or rallies attended by Raje in the state so far half if them were in her son Dushyant Singh’s constituency Jhalawar-Baran,” the source added.
“Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, seems to be maintaining a distance from active campaign for anyone who is considered close to the central leadership,” sources stated. Though at the fag end of campaign on April 26 for the first phase in the state she attended BJP chief Amit Shah’s road show in Jodhpur.
This is in stark contrast to the Congress is trying to present a united face with chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot addressing rallies and sharing stage on several occasions. Gehlot alone has taken part in approximately 140 public contact programmes, sources added.
Sources stated that the situation on Rajasthan BJP arose as the Central leadership, led by party chief Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has in the distribution of tickets cut to size former chief minister Raje and many of her favourites were denied nomination.
Not to forget that Rajasthan state unit backed by Raje had remained at loggerheads with the central leadership for months last year over the appointment of the state president which has soured the relationship between them.
And, sources stated, that this was the reason that Raje has maintained a distance from active campaigning this election season.
The state will vote in its first phase on April 29 in which 13 constituencies at stake and is scheduled for the second phase on May 6 in which the remaining 12 constituencies would be going to polls.
In the assembly polls, aggressive campaigning by BJP’s star campaigner, prime minister Narendra Modi, helped the party get a respectable number of seats despite Raje’s negative image among the party cadre and huge anti incumbency.
The BJP is hoping that it would be able to reverse its recent drubbing in the state Assembly elections and try to repeat its 2014 Lok Sabha results performance .
Rajasthan is considered an important part of the BJP’s plan to return to power at the Centre.
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